When most people think “environmentally conscious diet,” their minds probably jump to veganism. Giving up meat completely is touted today as the way to reduce your carbon footprint. But the Paleo lifestyle actually focuses on environmentalism much more than those folks might realize.

Since Paleo is all about emulating how our primitive ancestors lived, we naturally aim for locally raised livestock and organic foods grown using sustainable, species-appropriate methods. And that stuff matters—these methods wreak less havoc on the environment (less water pollution, air pollution, soil erosion, use of chemicals, etc.) than producing food using factory farming methods and shipping the end product vast distances.

Unfortunately, though a growing number of consumers are beginning to shop with the environment in mind, our planet is still in major trouble. According to Maria-Helena Semedo of the Food and Agriculture Organization, “a third of the world’s arable land is moderately to highly degraded due to erosion, nutrient depletion, acidification, urbanization, and chemical pollution.” Volkert Engelsman with the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements claims that every minute, “we are losing 30 soccer fields of soil . . . mostly due to intensive farming.” To put that further into perspective, if we change nothing, then in roughly 60 years, nobody will be able to farm anymore: there simply won’t be any arable land left. Now that’s a depressing and scary thought.

There is good news, however. With many individuals and institutions looking for a solution, options are being tossed around on how to save the remaining land, not to mention the planet. Currently, experts’ two best answers are giving up eating meat altogether and/or planting more crops.

But what if the “experts” have it wrong?

Our cover article, “Can We ‘Fix’ Meat” (p 40), argues that adopting a meatless diet and clearing more land for crops won’t solve much of anything. In fact it might produce even more problems, both environmental and economical. Instead, the article points to a more viable solution in the work of organizations like the Savory Institute. Savory partners with farmers and ranchers around the world to use herd animals as a tool to regenerate grasslands—raising livestock in a way that not only doesn’t destroy the land, but actually restores it, naturally. Funny thing about this solution: It’s closer than anything else to the way our ancestors first farmed.

Still, while folks like the Savory Institute are fighting the good fight and working hard to make a positive impact on our food system, the land, and the planet itself, they can’t do it alone. We’re all in this together, and it falls on all of us to do our part. This means taking the time to get to know your local farmer and find out how they raise their meat; supporting those who are doing things right; making sure you’re eating nose-to-tail (p 50), or all parts of the animal (it’s more respectful to the animal and more nutritious for you!); and doing as much shopping as you can locally. Incorporating these small aspects of the Paleo lifestyle into your daily life will have a profound impact on not only your health, but the health of the land around you, and, ultimately, the health of the entire planet.